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[CorrosiveMatter]

Can't read through 65 pages but Mesa has been haunting me and I'm curious what is the best Mark for high gain, saturated death metal?

I know they can all do it but what is the best one? I've owned a JP2C but dont know much about the brand and unfortunately there are so many. Mark 7 now, Rev A. Rev B, long head short head, etc...too much to dive into.....

Also considering a triple rectifier as they often pop up pretty low cost used.

I am very biased but I think you can get a Mark V 90 for about the same price of a Tri Rec and the Mark V is so much more of an amp.

Guitar Center Used right now, if you are in the US, had a 10% off in cart option and there is a Mark V 90 under $1400 after the discount.

The flexibility of the Mark V in my opinon can get you any sound someone could want but like I said, I am biased.

 

[laxu]

but like I said, I am biased.

6L6 or EL34?

 

[gearJunkie]

 

[CorrosiveMatter]

6L6 or EL34?

Here I thought I fat fingered the word for a moment...

 

[spawnofthesith]

I have no II variant experience but tbh I can emphatically say that anything III forward will excel for saturated death metal tones


I having experience with IIIs IV and Vs I’d say for ease of use and raw aggression III takes cake. IV is awesome and has that rawness byt truthfully the most finicky of the bunch and needs a good amount of volume to sound its best. V is the most versatile and stable of the bunch, high gain might be considered more “modern and refined” sounding but it lacks nothing in terms of brutality imo. Probably the easiest one to use live too

 

[EOengineer]

IMO the V or the VII are the amps to have, unless there’s something very specific you’re looking for that requires a II/III/IV. I love my III but the V is a more well rounded amp without sacrificing much purity.

 

[Desertdweller]

IMO the V or the VII are the amps to have, unless there’s something very specific you’re looking for that requires a II/III/IV. I love my III but the V is a more well rounded amp without sacrificing much purity.

I’ve owned a bunch of them and honestly all the Marks are really good.

 

[newholland]

yeah, insofar as tone is concerned, ive felt mark tone is pretty consistent outside of the mark i and extremes are the places theyre different moreso than core tones. probably not the most popular opinion as im not cranking gain much- but the fact that we could disagree about that speaks to how broad the appeal is!

 

[maddnotez]

I am very biased but I think you can get a Mark V 90 for about the same price of a Tri Rec and the Mark V is so much more of an amp.

Guitar Center Used right now, if you are in the US, had a 10% off in cart option and there is a Mark V 90 under $1400 after the discount.

The flexibility of the Mark V in my opinon can get you any sound someone could want but like I said, I am biased.

Im kind of a one trick pony, I do not mind having to tweak for days with 100 toggles to get that one sound however. I currently have an Uber Ultra and its my favorite amp so im not opposed to the V at all. I've never played one and if I remember correctly Lamb of God used to use them and their very high mid forward tone was not appealing to me although im sure the amp can to much more.

The only reason im interested in a triple rectifier (ive never once played a recto I liked) was because one of my favorite guitarists used them on an album and I love the low mid, saturated tone (cryptopsy - whisper supremacy).

I know mixers can make anything happen so a studio album is not always the best way to judge an amp.

 

[EOengineer]

Im kind of a one trick pony, I do not mind having to tweak for days with 100 toggles to get that one sound however. I currently have an Uber Ultra and its my favorite amp so im not opposed to the V at all. I've never played one and if I remember correctly Lamb of God used to use them and their very high mid forward tone was not appealing to me although im sure the amp can to much more.

The only reason im interested in a triple rectifier (ive never once played a recto I liked) was because one of my favorite guitarists used them on an album and I love the low mid, saturated tone (cryptopsy - whisper supremacy).

I know mixers can make anything happen so a studio album is not always the best way to judge an amp.

The triple is an absolute monster but your lack of love for the Recto circuits you’ve encountered would definitely give me pause.

The Recto and Mark circuits are nearly diametrically opposed. The Recto wants to be big, loose, wall of sound incarnate. The Mark is narrower, more precise, faster, and tighter…surgical if you will. They actually compliment each other wonderfully.

You need to play a Mark lead channel to understand the difference.

 

[maddnotez]

The triple is an absolute monster but your lack of love for the Recto circuits you’ve encountered would definitely give me pause.

The Recto and Mark circuits are nearly diametrically opposed. The Recto wants to be big, loose, wall of sound incarnate. The Mark is narrower, more precise, faster, and tighter…surgical if you will. They actually compliment each other wonderfully.

You need to play a Mark lead channel to understand the difference.

Ive had a JP2C and it was pretty awesome. I have HEARD rectos sound great but I've never played one myself that sounded great. In fact, out of the 3 ive played, I didnt like them one bit. I just thought maybe the triple had something different

 

[JiveTurkey]

Boosted Triple Rec through a 4x12 is BRUTAL. Mk V as Spawn said is pretty much gigging perfection (with the exception of the loop having some coloration (at least with my Boss pedals to these ears)). Mk III can do a clean/facemelt farely good with just the channel switch. It is probably the best trick and a half pony I've ever owned

 

[EOengineer]

Ive had a JP2C and it was pretty awesome. I have HEARD rectos sound great but I've never played one myself that sounded great. In fact, out of the 3 ive played, I didnt like them one bit. I just thought maybe the triple had something different

That’s right, you did say you had the JP2C. I mean, that’s up there as far as some of the best Mark circuits.

Any idea which recto versions you’ve played? I honestly don’t think they vary enough between revisions that it would matter, but who knows.

 

[EOengineer]

Boosted Triple Rec through a 4x12 is BRUTAL. Mk V as Spawn said is pretty much gigging perfection (with the exception of the loop having some coloration (at least with my Boss pedals to these ears)). Mk III can do a clean/facemelt farely good with just the channel switch. It is probably the best trick and a half pony I've ever owned

FWIW, if you push the treble shift in, pull the bass and turn it up a bit, turn the lead drive low and crank the lead master you can get some incredible mid gain and Texas blues stuff out of the lead channel on the III. You get way closer to an old fender amp in that configuration.

I’m a huge proponent of turning the lead drive down until you basically get a fatter version of the clean channel, then subtle bumps in the lead drive will get you varying levels of compression and hair. There’s a world of discovery there.

I get your point though - the clean -> face melting combo is def the thing that amp does and is known for.

 

[JiveTurkey]

FWIW, if you push the treble shift in, pull the bass, turn the lead drive low and crank the lead master you can get some incredible mid gain and Texas blues stuff out of the lead channel on the III. You get way closer to an old fender amp in that configuration.

I’m a huge proponent of turning the lead drive down until you basically get a fatter version of the clean channel, then subtle bumps in the lead drive will get you varying levels of compression and hair.

I get your point though - the clean -> face melting combo is def the thing that amp does and is known for.

Agreed completely. It's INSANELY versatile and is honestly done in the best way ever as far as keeping it SIMPLE while allowing for complex dial ins with "minimal" (for a Mark) controls. I love it. Still need a headshell but can't seem to want to spend the $.

 

[maddnotez]

Boosted Triple Rec through a 4x12 is BRUTAL. Mk V as Spawn said is pretty much gigging perfection (with the exception of the loop having some coloration (at least with my Boss pedals to these ears)). Mk III can do a clean/facemelt farely good with just the channel switch. It is probably the best trick and a half pony I've ever owned

Idk enough about the amps to say this is the case but if I got a Mark V, thats simple. One amp.

But if I decided I want a iii or a IV.....thats when all the confusion comes in. Long head, short head, blue stripe, etc.

 

[JiveTurkey]

Idk enough about the amps to say this is the case but if I got a Mark V, thats simple. One amp.

But if I decided I want a iii or a IV.....thats when all the confusion comes in. Long head, short head, blue stripe, etc.

III is honestly too old unless you know it's been gone through. Or are planning on needing to do maintenance down the road. V you just buy whatever fits your cabinet. Sounds more complex than it is. If you had a JP2C already; you've already seen overcomplicated

 

[EOengineer]

Idk enough about the amps to say this is the case but if I got a Mark V, thats simple. One amp.

But if I decided I want a iii or a IV.....thats when all the confusion comes in. Long head, short head, blue stripe, etc.

Any III is awesome, the different revisions are more similar than they are different, and all are brutal. I prefer the short head as it can be moved back and forth between the combo and head form factor, but the wide panel amps sound the same. It’s really more of an aesthetic choice.

III > IV IMO but the IV is still a great amp. The V beats both of you need super specific cleans and high gain.

 

[CorrosiveMatter]

Lamb of God used to use them and their very high mid forward tone

The Mark amps can be super mid forward, that is why so many people use the eq in the V mode to pull some or most mids out.

The JP2C is a bit more mid forward but that Mark EQ can change that. I know some of the folks in here have Mark's w/o the EQ and a few of them put an EQ in the loop to make up for it. I "think" I have gathered from other users coments that the non EQ ones have differnt tone stacks that sort of make up for no EQ? I have not touched one though, just from what others have said about them still being absolutly brutal sounding amps and I know w/o the EQ my Mark V and JP2C sound very thin and shit.

 

[TSJMajesty]

Also considering a triple rectifier as they often pop up pretty low cost used.

Yeah, cuz when it comes time to re-tube them big-iron amps, it costs an arm and a leg.